The Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers meet in Week 5 to renew one of the best rivalries in the NFL. The game will be on NBC, and kickoff for Sunday Night Football is at 8:20 p.m. ET.
The 49ers have ended the Cowboys’ seasons in the playoffs in the last two years. The two teams have had memorable playoff games dating back to the 1970s. The matchups have been filled with Hall of Famers on both sides.
From the current NFL standings to team depth charts to coverage of every game in the 18-week NFL schedule, we have all the news from around the league to keep you up to speed!
Who Are the Game Announcers for Cowboys-49ers?
Mike Tirico and Cris Collinsworth are in the booth, with Melissa Stark as the sideline reporter and Terry McAulay as the rules analyst.
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Tirico is in his second season as the play-by-play announcer for Sunday Night Football. He joined NBC in 2012 and has hosted several events, including the Olympics, the Indianapolis 500, and golf’s U.S. Open and Open Championship. Tirico spent 25 years at ESPN and was the Monday Night Football play-by-play announcer for 10 seasons.
How the 49ers Dashed Collinsworth’s Super Dreams
Collinsworth played all eight of his NFL seasons as a wide receiver with the Cincinnati Bengals. He had over 6,600 receiving yards and 36 touchdowns in 107 career games from 1981 to 1988. Collinsworth, who was drafted in the second round out of Florida, made the Pro Bowl in his first three seasons.
Collinsworth’s teams made the Super Bowl in his first and last seasons and faced the 49ers. In both games against Joe Montana-led San Francisco teams, Collinsworth and the Bengals lost.
As a rookie, Collinsworth had five catches for 107 yards in Super Bowl XVI, a 21-16 loss to the 49ers. In Super Bowl XXIII, he had three catches for 40 yards in the final game of his career. Montana’s last-minute touchdown to John Taylor gave San Francisco a 20-16 win.
When Does NBC’s Coverage Start?
NBC’s pregame coverage begins at 7 p.m. ET with Football Night in America, hosted by Maria Taylor. Former head coaches Tony Dungy and Jason Garrett and former players Devin McCourty, Chris Simms, and Rodney Harrison will provide analysis. NFL insider Mike Florio, fantasy sports expert Matthew Berry, and Jac Collinsworth, Cris’ son, are also on the show.
Jason Garrett Knows All About the Cowboys
Jason Garrett was the Cowboys’ backup quarterback behind Hall of Famer Troy Aikman for seven seasons. Dallas made the playoffs six times and won two Super Bowls when Garrett was with the team.
Garrett made nine starts in seven seasons, and the Cowboys were 6-3 with him as a starter. His most notable start came on Thanksgiving Day in 1994 when he beat the Green Bay Packers and Brett Favre. Garrett completed 27 of 40 passes for 257 yards and four touchdown passes in a 42-31 comeback win.
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Garrett threw 11 touchdowns and five interceptions in 23 career games with the Cowboys. He played two games in his final season with the New York Giants in 2000.
Garrett returned to Dallas in 2007 to be the team’s offensive coordinator under head coach Wade Phillips. In his first season, the Cowboys went 13-3 before falling to the Giants in the Divisional Round.
When Phillips was fired eight games into the 2010 season, Garrett was named interim head coach and led the team to a 5-3 record to finish the season. Owner Jerry Jones removed the interim tag after the season and named Garrett the head coach.
Garrett was the head coach until the end of the 2019 season and led Dallas to an 85-67 record. The Cowboys won the NFC East three times under Garrett, his only playoff appearances as head coach. His two best teams were eliminated by the Packers and Aaron Rodgers, including in 2014, when a critical potential catch by Dez Bryant was ruled incomplete following a replay review.
Following the 2019 season, current Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy replaced Garrett after an 8-8 season, the fourth .500 season in his nine full seasons.